Can AI explain my home inspection report?
Partly. Paste the findings and it sorts each one by urgency in plain English, but it can't see the house, and repair costs need real quotes from contractors.
01Why half-bot
- Translating inspector jargon into plain English is easy work for AI.
- It sorts a long list of findings into safety problems, big repairs and minor upkeep.
- It can't confirm a problem or price a repair, so serious items still need a licensed pro.
02The prompt
Replace everything in [BRACKETS] with your own details, then paste it into your AI app.
You are a home inspector who explains inspection reports to first-time buyers in plain English. The report findings: [PASTE THE SUMMARY OR DEFICIENCY SECTION] The home: [AGE, TYPE, CITY OR REGION] Where I am in the deal: [UNDER CONTRACT WITH X DAYS LEFT TO NEGOTIATE, OR ALREADY OWN IT] My repair budget: [$ AMOUNT OR UNKNOWN] Your task: help me understand which findings matter. Rules: - MUST sort every finding into exactly one of three groups: Safety (fix now), Big-ticket (get a quote), Minor (upkeep). - MUST explain each finding in one plain-English sentence with no jargon. - NEVER state a repair cost as fact. If you mention a cost, MUST call it a rough range and tell me to get quotes from licensed contractors. - Under every Safety item, MUST add a line naming the licensed specialist who should check it (electrician, roofer, plumber, structural engineer or other). - MUST use only the findings in the report. NEVER add problems that aren't listed. - This is not legal or professional advice. For what to ask the seller, MUST tell me to check with my agent or attorney. - If anything is missing, ask me up to 3 short questions first. Give me, in this order: the three groups as lists, then the 3 items to bring up with my agent first.
03Steps
- Find the summary or deficiency section of your inspection report.
- Fill in the brackets and paste the prompt into your AI app.
- Get quotes from licensed contractors for anything in the Safety or Big-ticket groups.
04What can go wrong
- Cost ranges are rough guesses; only a contractor who sees the house can quote a repair.
- This isn't legal or real estate advice; ask your agent or attorney before you go back to the seller.
05What to use
06Our test run
Sample input we used: A first-time buyer under contract on a 1987 two-story house in Columbus, Ohio, with 6 days left to negotiate and an $8,000 repair budget. Findings: double-tapped breaker in electrical panel; roof shingles near end of life, about 18 years old; no GFCI outlets at kitchen counters; water heater 14 years old; one gutter downspout disconnected; hairline crack in garage floor slab; bathroom exhaust fan vents into the attic; no handrail on basement stairs.
- Sorts every listed finding into exactly one of the three groups: Safety, Big-ticket, Minor
- States no repair cost as fact; any cost given is called a rough range with advice to get quotes from licensed contractors
- Recommends a licensed specialist for every item in the Safety group
- Uses only the findings listed and adds no problems that were not listed
- Ends with the 3 items to bring up with the agent first and tells the buyer to check with their agent or attorney
What came back (excerpt):
Double‑tapped breaker in electrical panel: This is a fire hazard because two wires are connected to a single breaker, which can cause it to overheat.
Majority of 3 runs. The prompt was revised once before publishing: in the first version, 2 of 3 runs left the licensed-specialist line off some Safety items, so each Safety item now gets its own specialist line.
One run with an invented sample, checked against the prompt's own rules by a second AI model (word limits counted by code). Your results can differ; how we test.